I was heading up I-25 in heavy weekend traffic, watching the idiots in front of me.
A small, green sedan pulled up along side of me to my left. I didn't think anything about it, especially since I was busy watching the traffic. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement from the car that wasn't common. I looked over and a cute blond was holding up a sign that said "Hi". It was a pre-printed sign, about a foot across, white with black lettering. I chuckled and waved at her. She then held her arm out the window, pumping it up and down with a closed fist, signaling that she wanted me to toot my horn, so I obliged.
The Dumb Ass in the lane to my right almost ran off the road.
The blond and her male driver then sped up, waving as they drove away.
I laughed at this interaction all the way to my delivery location. It had been years since somebody had done something like that. I appreciated their friendliness, especially in the middle of traffic.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Pita
Well, Pita is gone.
She came into my life one day as I was putting milk away in the refrigerator. I noticed that one of my bottles of tea that I had made had fallen over and some of the contents had drained out of the container. So while I was on my hands and knees cleaning out the bottom of the refrigerator, I felt something crawl across my foot.
Not being the jumpy sort, I looked down and saw a brownish-grey rat staring back at me. She skittered off to around the back of the sofa, but was easily coaxed out.
She was well fed, ignoring the food and water I offered her. She must have belonged to somebody, but nobody fessed up. What was I to do? Flush her down the toilet? Gracious, NO! So being the good steward, I went and got a cage, bottle, bedding, a ball, food, and who knows what else. I figured I'd take care of her until somebody came and got her.
The circumstances by which she entered into my life prompted me to name her "Pita", short for Pain In The Arse! It was a very appropriate name.
Being a rat, I couldn't just let her run freely around the apartment, since rats have an inclination to gnaw, chew, chomp, and raise hate-and-discontent with printer wiring. I found this out the hard way. Fortunately, I am adept at repairs...
Pita would sit on my lap while I was eating dinner and eat with me. I could always tell when she was full, because she would stop eating (unlike me!), snuggle down, and go to sleep. Like children, cats and puppies, she was cute when she was asleep!
As time progressed she slowed down, just sitting in her ball when I put her in there. More apt to sleep than to come out to play. Finally, age and rat maladies took their toll.
I keep trying to tell myself that it was only a rat. But she was a very cute rat. I am going to miss her.
She came into my life one day as I was putting milk away in the refrigerator. I noticed that one of my bottles of tea that I had made had fallen over and some of the contents had drained out of the container. So while I was on my hands and knees cleaning out the bottom of the refrigerator, I felt something crawl across my foot.
Not being the jumpy sort, I looked down and saw a brownish-grey rat staring back at me. She skittered off to around the back of the sofa, but was easily coaxed out.
She was well fed, ignoring the food and water I offered her. She must have belonged to somebody, but nobody fessed up. What was I to do? Flush her down the toilet? Gracious, NO! So being the good steward, I went and got a cage, bottle, bedding, a ball, food, and who knows what else. I figured I'd take care of her until somebody came and got her.
The circumstances by which she entered into my life prompted me to name her "Pita", short for Pain In The Arse! It was a very appropriate name.
Being a rat, I couldn't just let her run freely around the apartment, since rats have an inclination to gnaw, chew, chomp, and raise hate-and-discontent with printer wiring. I found this out the hard way. Fortunately, I am adept at repairs...
Pita would sit on my lap while I was eating dinner and eat with me. I could always tell when she was full, because she would stop eating (unlike me!), snuggle down, and go to sleep. Like children, cats and puppies, she was cute when she was asleep!
As time progressed she slowed down, just sitting in her ball when I put her in there. More apt to sleep than to come out to play. Finally, age and rat maladies took their toll.
I keep trying to tell myself that it was only a rat. But she was a very cute rat. I am going to miss her.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
April Fools Day
Just after midnight I realized what the date was: April 1st, 2011. The dawning realization that it was April Fools Day suddenly made my night that much more interesting!
Oh, my job is plenty interesting, what with running the mountains in snow storms and having to deal with all of the associated problems. Or driving around Metro Denver just after the bars close. At least at 2:00 in the morning when you see somebody driving stupid, you KNOW why they're driving stupid. At 9:00 on a weekday morning when they're driving stupid, it's scary.
Anyway, I got my mind to quit wandering, sit down, shut up, and hang on, and figure out what I could do to get the maximum amount of mileage from an April Fools stunt. Then it hit me! I was laughing too hard to hit it back, so I ran with it. My divorce took more than a year to resolve, and many people have asked me if I would marry again. That was the stunt.
I text ten people, including my kids, and told them: "I'm getting married."
My Sister responded with: "I'm getting sick..."
Bob responded with: "WTF?"
Michael and Krystal thought I'd gone over the deep end.
Bill was confused.
Then they all were mad at me when I text them back: "Happy April first".
Not surprisingly, and kudos to them, Tanya and Terence knew it was a prank and that I'm full of $hit! My kids, what do you expect?!?!?! They're used to Dear Olde Dad doing something like that to them.
All told, I got a good 24+ hours of humor out of this!
I have 365 days to get ready for next year and to top this year. Wish me luck! It's going to be tough.
Oh, my job is plenty interesting, what with running the mountains in snow storms and having to deal with all of the associated problems. Or driving around Metro Denver just after the bars close. At least at 2:00 in the morning when you see somebody driving stupid, you KNOW why they're driving stupid. At 9:00 on a weekday morning when they're driving stupid, it's scary.
Anyway, I got my mind to quit wandering, sit down, shut up, and hang on, and figure out what I could do to get the maximum amount of mileage from an April Fools stunt. Then it hit me! I was laughing too hard to hit it back, so I ran with it. My divorce took more than a year to resolve, and many people have asked me if I would marry again. That was the stunt.
I text ten people, including my kids, and told them: "I'm getting married."
My Sister responded with: "I'm getting sick..."
Bob responded with: "WTF?"
Michael and Krystal thought I'd gone over the deep end.
Bill was confused.
Then they all were mad at me when I text them back: "Happy April first".
Not surprisingly, and kudos to them, Tanya and Terence knew it was a prank and that I'm full of $hit! My kids, what do you expect?!?!?! They're used to Dear Olde Dad doing something like that to them.
All told, I got a good 24+ hours of humor out of this!
I have 365 days to get ready for next year and to top this year. Wish me luck! It's going to be tough.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Death
Published Greeley Tribune September 7, 2001
Death. The first time I encountered the phenomenon was with my Father. We were living in Northglenn at the time, and I was only 14 years old. He had come home the day before from a sales trip, and had taken on repainting the trim around the house.
I was ‘helping’ him when the weather turned nasty, and I started taking stuff back into the house. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes when my sister screamed. I ran outside to find my Father on the ground, collapsed next to his car. He was gone, the victim of a heart attack.
Death became personal in 1982, when my world was turned upside-down with the diagnosis of a broken neck and consequent surgery. Wearing a halo brace, I was feeling really low one day, and I sat myself down at the dining room table with a loaded pistol and a note pad in front of me. I wanted to write down how I felt, about not being able to get around like I used to, not being able to work, my wife being pregnant with our first child, etc. Because of everything, I felt like less of a man. I started writing, and soon found myself writing a poem about Death. Incidentally, it took me 20 years to realize, as of last November, that The Lord was with me that day, but that’s another story, if not a book.
I have talked to many people who have considered suicide. One common denominator amongst them is they regularly think about it. Why? Because ‘It’ is the only constant in their lives. Look around your life and see the way things change, every day, even by the minute. It can be overwhelming.
From my perspective, a person who contemplates suicide has done so over a period of time, so there are indications of the impending event. It’s not like a person wakes up one morning with the Klingon philosophy on their mind: “Today is a good day to die”. 20/20 hindsight is Man’s greatest attribute, and those that are left in the wake of a suicide say things like “I didn’t think he’d do it”, or “I should have seen it coming”.
But people die every day from occurrences that are not of their doing. Because of the unexpected suddenness, people should be prepared. Sounds rather contradictory, but it makes sense.
First, and I’m sure you’ve all heard it before, you should have a will and life insurance. I want to take this a step further. If you can afford it, have a small life insurance policy entrusted to a friend, or somebody who can front the monies. That way, in the event of your death, people who cannot otherwise afford to travel to your funeral can do so with the proceeds from the policy. Disclaimer: Always check with your financial and legal consultants before doing anything.
In a letter to Dear Abby the writer was bemoaning the fact that an old friend had died. Because she hadn’t heard from her friend in a while, she set out to find out if there was a problem, and consequently was informed by the family about the death. Similarly, I had a Great Aunt that had died, and one day when I inquired about her health, was told she had died six months before! Obviously non-notification is a common problem.
So, make a list of the people you want informed upon your demise. This can be incorporated into the will, left with a friend or the executor of the estate. See disclaimer.
Finally, have the last word. Literally. Make up tapes or CD’s for the people you LOVE, telling them about the way you feel towards them. Tell your kids how proud you are, your spouse about the wonderful life you had, etc. Use your imagination and be nice; This may be your lasting legacy.
And remember, someday it may be too late to tell them you LOVE them, so do it today.
I Love my kids:
Tanya, Robbie and Trinity;
Michael, Krystal and Colton; and last but not least
Terence, our Army brat!
Love you too, Kiddo!
THE POEM
August 1, 1997 DEATH
Originally written July 27, 1982 (That Day!)
DEATH, that cunning artist of despair. It stalks its prey anytime, day or night, seeking young or old, healthy or sick, or those caught unaware. It hovers over you when you are eating, sleeping, or just sitting. It can act directly or use one of its allies, Man. It can act swiftly and mercifully, or slow and agonizingly.
We have all seen DEATH. It is apparent everywhere we look:
A loose board on the stairs;
Teenager with his parents car on Friday night;
An armed robber at a bank;
A person eating dinner after too much to drink;
A hot bubble bath.
It even strikes on joyous occasions:
A birth;
A wedding;
A party.
But it is most subtle when it creeps up through a person's emotions:
Despair;
Lonliness;
Fear;
Hate.
Mostly, DEATH attacks people through others, but its greatest joy is when it makes a person turn on himself.
Suicide is DEATH's ultimate ecstasy!
And DEATH is ecstatic right now.
Death. The first time I encountered the phenomenon was with my Father. We were living in Northglenn at the time, and I was only 14 years old. He had come home the day before from a sales trip, and had taken on repainting the trim around the house.
I was ‘helping’ him when the weather turned nasty, and I started taking stuff back into the house. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes when my sister screamed. I ran outside to find my Father on the ground, collapsed next to his car. He was gone, the victim of a heart attack.
Death became personal in 1982, when my world was turned upside-down with the diagnosis of a broken neck and consequent surgery. Wearing a halo brace, I was feeling really low one day, and I sat myself down at the dining room table with a loaded pistol and a note pad in front of me. I wanted to write down how I felt, about not being able to get around like I used to, not being able to work, my wife being pregnant with our first child, etc. Because of everything, I felt like less of a man. I started writing, and soon found myself writing a poem about Death. Incidentally, it took me 20 years to realize, as of last November, that The Lord was with me that day, but that’s another story, if not a book.
I have talked to many people who have considered suicide. One common denominator amongst them is they regularly think about it. Why? Because ‘It’ is the only constant in their lives. Look around your life and see the way things change, every day, even by the minute. It can be overwhelming.
From my perspective, a person who contemplates suicide has done so over a period of time, so there are indications of the impending event. It’s not like a person wakes up one morning with the Klingon philosophy on their mind: “Today is a good day to die”. 20/20 hindsight is Man’s greatest attribute, and those that are left in the wake of a suicide say things like “I didn’t think he’d do it”, or “I should have seen it coming”.
But people die every day from occurrences that are not of their doing. Because of the unexpected suddenness, people should be prepared. Sounds rather contradictory, but it makes sense.
First, and I’m sure you’ve all heard it before, you should have a will and life insurance. I want to take this a step further. If you can afford it, have a small life insurance policy entrusted to a friend, or somebody who can front the monies. That way, in the event of your death, people who cannot otherwise afford to travel to your funeral can do so with the proceeds from the policy. Disclaimer: Always check with your financial and legal consultants before doing anything.
In a letter to Dear Abby the writer was bemoaning the fact that an old friend had died. Because she hadn’t heard from her friend in a while, she set out to find out if there was a problem, and consequently was informed by the family about the death. Similarly, I had a Great Aunt that had died, and one day when I inquired about her health, was told she had died six months before! Obviously non-notification is a common problem.
So, make a list of the people you want informed upon your demise. This can be incorporated into the will, left with a friend or the executor of the estate. See disclaimer.
Finally, have the last word. Literally. Make up tapes or CD’s for the people you LOVE, telling them about the way you feel towards them. Tell your kids how proud you are, your spouse about the wonderful life you had, etc. Use your imagination and be nice; This may be your lasting legacy.
And remember, someday it may be too late to tell them you LOVE them, so do it today.
I Love my kids:
Tanya, Robbie and Trinity;
Michael, Krystal and Colton; and last but not least
Terence, our Army brat!
Love you too, Kiddo!
THE POEM
August 1, 1997 DEATH
Originally written July 27, 1982 (That Day!)
DEATH, that cunning artist of despair. It stalks its prey anytime, day or night, seeking young or old, healthy or sick, or those caught unaware. It hovers over you when you are eating, sleeping, or just sitting. It can act directly or use one of its allies, Man. It can act swiftly and mercifully, or slow and agonizingly.
We have all seen DEATH. It is apparent everywhere we look:
A loose board on the stairs;
Teenager with his parents car on Friday night;
An armed robber at a bank;
A person eating dinner after too much to drink;
A hot bubble bath.
It even strikes on joyous occasions:
A birth;
A wedding;
A party.
But it is most subtle when it creeps up through a person's emotions:
Despair;
Lonliness;
Fear;
Hate.
Mostly, DEATH attacks people through others, but its greatest joy is when it makes a person turn on himself.
Suicide is DEATH's ultimate ecstasy!
And DEATH is ecstatic right now.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Lonliness, Part 1
As a driver, I learned a long time ago how important it is to get enough sleep. When I was driving Over The Road (OTR) and I got home, I usually was in a bad mood due-to-the-fact-that I was tired. Being tired and grumpy made my time at home not as enjoyable as it should have been. So when I realized that, thereafter when I was on my way home and tired, instead of going home where I wanted to be, I would stop and take a nap to refresh myself.
When I got the job with Precision Fuel Haulers, being tired took on a whole new meaning. There were days that I would put in only 12 hours, but there were others that I put in 18 – 20. From the shop back to the ranch was a 45 minute drive. So if I had a long night, then had to drive back to the ranch, shower and eat, that left only a few hours (4 – 5) for me to sleep, if I was lucky. That is not enough for me, especially when I have to drive an 80,000# guided missile!
Then there were two incidents: one, when I fell asleep at the wheel of my car going home; and another when I realized I was home and had not a clue as to how I got there! I decided for safety’s sake to get an apartment in Greeley close to the shop. If I had a long night, I would stay at the apartment; if it was short, then I’d go back to the ranch.
That day started out about as typical as any other day. I had stayed at the apartment and got up at 3 P.M. like I did, and got to the shop about 5. There was nobody else there. Got my dispatch from the boss on the phone and head on down to Denver. I went to Suncor, the refinery, and loaded up the truck. There was one truck pulling out as I pulled in, and as I was leaving a couple of other trucks showed up. I made my delivery, and there was nobody at that station as they were closed. I then went to the Conoco pipeline and loaded for Avon. Once again as I pulled out a couple of trucks showed up as I was leaving. I drove to Avon and as my luck would have it, the store was closed by the time I got there, and there was nobody there. I made my delivery and headed back to Denver to Suncor to load up. There were no trucks there. I head up to Greeley to make my delivery and that station, too, was closed. Got done at that delivery, went back to the shop and dropped off the truck. There was nobody there. That was a short night in comparison to some nights. But I was tired, so I decided to go back to the apartment.
When I got back to my apartment, everybody in the building was still in bed or had already left for work. I didn't see anybody there. I got up to my apartment and got ready for bed. I said my prayers and thanked God that He once again kept me safe.
I laid down and then it dawned on me: it was kind of like a wave washing over me, a very weird sensation, one that is very difficult to explain, even as a writer. Not unlike the bottom dropping out of a bucket, or that moment when you close the door on your car and you realize you left the keys inside. The whole night, for that 11 hours, I didn't have contact with any other human! I saw nobody else in person, and I talked to no other person, person to person. The only person I had talked to was the boss on the phone when I got my dispatch.
The weight of that realization laid me flat out like I was crushed by a ton of bricks. I instantly succumbed to the wave of emotion that washed over me. I had suddenly realized how alone, and lonely, I was.
When I got the job with Precision Fuel Haulers, being tired took on a whole new meaning. There were days that I would put in only 12 hours, but there were others that I put in 18 – 20. From the shop back to the ranch was a 45 minute drive. So if I had a long night, then had to drive back to the ranch, shower and eat, that left only a few hours (4 – 5) for me to sleep, if I was lucky. That is not enough for me, especially when I have to drive an 80,000# guided missile!
Then there were two incidents: one, when I fell asleep at the wheel of my car going home; and another when I realized I was home and had not a clue as to how I got there! I decided for safety’s sake to get an apartment in Greeley close to the shop. If I had a long night, I would stay at the apartment; if it was short, then I’d go back to the ranch.
That day started out about as typical as any other day. I had stayed at the apartment and got up at 3 P.M. like I did, and got to the shop about 5. There was nobody else there. Got my dispatch from the boss on the phone and head on down to Denver. I went to Suncor, the refinery, and loaded up the truck. There was one truck pulling out as I pulled in, and as I was leaving a couple of other trucks showed up. I made my delivery, and there was nobody at that station as they were closed. I then went to the Conoco pipeline and loaded for Avon. Once again as I pulled out a couple of trucks showed up as I was leaving. I drove to Avon and as my luck would have it, the store was closed by the time I got there, and there was nobody there. I made my delivery and headed back to Denver to Suncor to load up. There were no trucks there. I head up to Greeley to make my delivery and that station, too, was closed. Got done at that delivery, went back to the shop and dropped off the truck. There was nobody there. That was a short night in comparison to some nights. But I was tired, so I decided to go back to the apartment.
When I got back to my apartment, everybody in the building was still in bed or had already left for work. I didn't see anybody there. I got up to my apartment and got ready for bed. I said my prayers and thanked God that He once again kept me safe.
I laid down and then it dawned on me: it was kind of like a wave washing over me, a very weird sensation, one that is very difficult to explain, even as a writer. Not unlike the bottom dropping out of a bucket, or that moment when you close the door on your car and you realize you left the keys inside. The whole night, for that 11 hours, I didn't have contact with any other human! I saw nobody else in person, and I talked to no other person, person to person. The only person I had talked to was the boss on the phone when I got my dispatch.
The weight of that realization laid me flat out like I was crushed by a ton of bricks. I instantly succumbed to the wave of emotion that washed over me. I had suddenly realized how alone, and lonely, I was.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
I'm Single
Well, now that I'm Single, I can take you on my journey of the past four (4) years. But in the meantime, a (humorous? sordid? stupid?) thought that came to mind yesterday:
I should go out and buy a New Car! On a six (6) year note, it will be paid off the same time as the Court Ordered Maintenance!
Until next time, keep the rubber side down.
I should go out and buy a New Car! On a six (6) year note, it will be paid off the same time as the Court Ordered Maintenance!
Until next time, keep the rubber side down.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Ponzi Schemes
Well, I'm not alone. I checked in on an Investment Club that I joined to find the following:
Palm Beach Gardens investment group collected $27.7M from Ponzi scheme, SEC says
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/palm-beach-gardens-investment-group-collected-27-7m-762936.html
The "Club" has been in litigation with the originating company since this time last year. Supposedly the funds are frozen and all are waiting for the lawsuit trial to start in September. We'll see.
It may be asked: How can somebody as smart as me be conned into something like this. Answer: I'm only as good as the information that I am given.
I'm not alone.
Remember when President Bush was told that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction? Then when we get there, there's none to be found! (or so we're told.) President
Bush acted on information that was given to him. So who's at fault here? The President or his advisors?
So now we're involved in a Ponzi Scheme in Afganistan and Iraq. Our Government is sending assets over there, and we're not getting a return on our investment. Then, when a leading General points that out to our President, the General gets "beheaded", just like when somebody spoke out against the King in Feudal times.
Obviously our President is not capable of taking public criticism.
So, I'm not alone. It doesn't make it any easier. Fortunately, I had taken steps to lessen the impact of loss from the Club.
But, like the olde saying goes: "If you don't try, you won't know." I tried. Many things. Some successes, some failures.
And my Sister in her wisdom has advised me against making SOME mistakes a THIRD time!
Thank God for having a conscious. Even if she does live in Florida.
Keep the rubber side down, and your chins up!
Palm Beach Gardens investment group collected $27.7M from Ponzi scheme, SEC says
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/palm-beach-gardens-investment-group-collected-27-7m-762936.html
The "Club" has been in litigation with the originating company since this time last year. Supposedly the funds are frozen and all are waiting for the lawsuit trial to start in September. We'll see.
It may be asked: How can somebody as smart as me be conned into something like this. Answer: I'm only as good as the information that I am given.
I'm not alone.
Remember when President Bush was told that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction? Then when we get there, there's none to be found! (or so we're told.) President
Bush acted on information that was given to him. So who's at fault here? The President or his advisors?
So now we're involved in a Ponzi Scheme in Afganistan and Iraq. Our Government is sending assets over there, and we're not getting a return on our investment. Then, when a leading General points that out to our President, the General gets "beheaded", just like when somebody spoke out against the King in Feudal times.
Obviously our President is not capable of taking public criticism.
So, I'm not alone. It doesn't make it any easier. Fortunately, I had taken steps to lessen the impact of loss from the Club.
But, like the olde saying goes: "If you don't try, you won't know." I tried. Many things. Some successes, some failures.
And my Sister in her wisdom has advised me against making SOME mistakes a THIRD time!
Thank God for having a conscious. Even if she does live in Florida.
Keep the rubber side down, and your chins up!
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